In the midst of the parties launching their manifestos this week, we have also received the latest labour market data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the figures show a bleak picture for our young people.
In fact, the numbers are the worst that we have seen since the pandemic. The unemployment rate for young people aged between 16 to 24 in the Feb-Apr 2024 quarter was 13.6%, 2.3 percentage points higher than the rate this time last year. This now means young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than any other age group.
There are now over one million 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment or full-time education. As rates of unemployment and economic inactivity continue to rise, there is an urgent need to ensure there are appropriate pathways and support available to young people to transition from education to employment. Here at Youth Employment UK we want to see a government that truly puts young people at the forefront of youth employment policy, ensures an education system that is inclusive and delivers a young person’s guarantee where no young person is left behind.
So, what have the parties pledged to tackle the youth unemployment crisis?
The Liberal Democrats were first to release their manifesto. Their ‘Fair deal’ approach promises to:
- Fix the skills and recruitment crisis by investing in education and training, including increasing the availability of apprenticeships and career advice for young people.
- Reform the apprenticeship levy with a broader and more flexible skills and training levy.
- Create a new lifelong skills grant for adults to spend on education and training throughout their lives.
- Boost the take-up of apprenticeships, including by guaranteeing they are paid at least the National Minimum Wage by scrapping the lower apprentice rate.
The Conservatives were up next with their ‘clear plan, bold action, secure future’ who plan to:
- Remove funding for ‘low-quality’ degrees that result in poor progression pathways to pay for 100,000 more apprenticeships by 2029.
- Transform 16-19 education by introducing the Advanced British Standard, enabling young people to receive a broader education by removing the divide between academic and technical learning.
- Introduce a mandatory National Service for all school leavers at 18, with the choice between a competitive placement in the military or civic service roles.
The Green Party have pledged for ‘real hope, real change’ and are advocating for:
- Supporting every higher education student, with the restoration of grants and the end of tuition fees.
- An increase in the minimum wage to £15 an hour, regardless of age, with the costs to small businesses offset by reducing their National Insurance payments.
- Equal employment rights for all workers from their first day of employment, including those working in the ‘gig economy’ and on zero-hours contracts.
Today, the Labour party have released their ‘plan for change’ and have pledged to:
- Guarantee training, an apprenticeship, or help to find work for all 18- to 21-year-olds.
- Establish Skills England to bring together business, training providers and unions with national and local government to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver Labour’s Industrial Strategy.
- Transform Further Education colleges into specialist Technical Excellence Colleges. These colleges will work with businesses, trade unions, and local government to provide young people with better job opportunities and the highly trained workforce that local economies need.
- Reform the Apprenticeships Levy to a flexible Growth and Skills Levy to expand the scope.
While we welcome the focus on skills and increasing pathways and opportunities for young people in education, this is only one piece of the puzzle. It is important that all parties recognise that getting to employment is equally as important as ensuring young people are given good quality work opportunities. Details are limited on how parties will encourage businesses to invest in training and offer a platform where they contribute to the development of our young people.
In addition, taking into consideration the complex reasons contributing to youth unemployment, varied support is required to reverse this rising unemployment and inactivity trend. Thus, the winning government should prioritise an approach that results in a system where collaborative working is key and the needs of young people are at the forefront.
Youth Employment UK’s four policy asks to tackle youth unemployment can be found here.
